Midnight Musings
by whiteswan
Summary: A conversation between the sixteen year old Eagle and Condor after a long day of training. Rated for language and innuendo.


Midnight Musings or The Inner Workings of the Male Teenage Mind

Yet another collaboration with GoldAngel2. As always, they are not ours. Enjoy

Glossary

okashira-commander, captain, boss

uke-attacker

tori-defender

hajime-begin, start

yame-stop immediately

ototo-little brother

kami-God

It was the merciful end of an intense day of training for the fledgling Kagaku Ninja Tai. The blazing heat and humidity had made training, even in a supposedly air conditioned facility, unbearable. Tempers had been flaring as high as the temperature outside, and even an attempt to cool off in the ISO pool after the session was over had not helped. In fact, it only made things worse. It was with great relief that the day drew to a close and they could finally get some rest. Unfortunately, the day's events had added tension to the air between the two young men known on the team as the Eagle and Condor...who unfortunately also had to room together while on the base.

Joe Asakura stretched himself out on the cool sheets, hands behind his head on the pillow, smirking as the rush of water from the shower finally came to a halt behind the bathroom door. The light extinguished and the door opened simultaneously as Ken Washio stepped out, still rubbing his head vigorously with a towel, another wrapped around his waist. Joe watched lazily as his roommate for the night walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts. Sitting on the bed, Ken unwrapped the towel and donned the garment, doing his best to ignore the impending sarcastic comment he know was coming. True to form, Joe didn't disappoint as he opened his mouth.

"Gee, did you leave any water for the rest of the complex? You were in there for almost an hour."

Ken retorted, "What are you, the water monitor around here? I needed to cool off, you got a problem with that?"

Joe snickered, "Yeah, I bet you did."

Ken said defensively, "And just what the hell do you mean by that, huh?"

The Condor feigned innocence as he commented, "Ah nothing, never mind. Just forget about it."

The Eagle became immediately suspicious as he eyed his second in command, "Yeah, right, like I believe that. What are you up to?"

Joe heaved a deep sigh, "Yeesh, I'm hurt. Can't a guy just make conversation without getting his head bit off?"

Ken cast a jaundiced eye at him and said, "When it comes to you, I can bet my life you've got something on your mind. So just spit it out already. We have another long day tomorrow and I'd like to get some sleep."

Joe grinned and said, "Ok fine, have it your way. Lights out then." He reached over and flicked the switch, plunging the room into darkness before Ken could even pull his sheets back to get into bed.

"Thanks a lot pal," Ken sighed as he yanked the sheets back and stretched out on the bed, closing his eyes in preparation for sleep. It was thankfully quiet for all of thirty seconds when Joe's raspy teenage tenor broke through again.

"Boy that was some workout we had today huh?"

Ken sighed again, "Just go to sleep."

But his roommate seemed to be in an unusually talkative mood, despite his claims of being tired, "Seems like everyone was just a little too aggressive today, don't you think. Especially Jun. Damn, I thought she was trying to take your head off at one point. What did you do to piss her off?"

"Nothing that I know of. So just go to sleep."

"No really Ken, she was really, really ticked at you. What did you do to get her so riled up?"

Ken sighed and tried again, "I told you, nothing. Now shut up and go to sleep."

Joe snickered in the dark, "She sure gets pretty when she gets angry. I mean, she's pretty anyways but when those cat eyes start sparking like that, watch out! You'll be lucky if you come back with both balls still attached. Good thing we wear those cups huh?"

"Took you long enough to learn that lesson. Now go to sleep already...or I'll sic her on you tomorrow."

Joe snorted in derision, "Yeah, and that's supposed to bother me? Nothing like having a fine body pressed against me. All I can say is hurt me baby!"

Ken clenched his hands into fists and mentally counted to ten to cool his rising temper."I'm the one who's going to hurt you in a minute if you don't shut the hell up and go to sleep."

"Seems like I struck a nerve there okashira. Jealous?"

Ken sat bolt upright and snapped, "I'm not jealous, I just want to sleep. And with your lips flapping, it's impossible." His voice rose in pitch and volume as he shouted, "Now for the last time GO TO SLEEP!"

Joe smirked to himself and said almost dreamily, "I just can't get that picture out of my head though. That fine lookin' chest in that little tiny sports bra just made my mouth water. I'd have never thought when she came here last year, all flat and skinny that she'd end up looking like that. Damn!"

Ken lay there and felt his own body heat rise as the images were inadvertently drawn in his head from the workout session earlier with the team.

_Joe, Jun and Ken were the only ones left in the gym, Ryu and Jinpei having already headed for the pool. The three were trying to perfect the defensive move their sensei had shown her earlier. Joe was spotting this bout and Ken was acting in the role of uke. Jun had already perfected the basic move, and the boys were now using alterations on it to try and throw her off. As the tori, Jun currently had her back to Ken, braid hanging loose, and her stance casual, as if not expecting an attack. At Joe's signal 'hajime!' Ken crept up behind her and when he was only inches away, reached for the base of her braid with one hand. The move was originally designed as an attack from the side, an assailant coming up and trying to immobilize a woman by her hair. Normally, the counter-move would be to wrap an arm around the attacker's outstretched one and twist it back, dislocating the shoulder and breaking the hold. But, as Ken was coming directly behind her and was close to her when he grabbed her, his arm would be out of her reach and not in a position for her to easily break his hold. Instead, feeling the hand at her nape, Jun swung around, arm outstretched to clothesline him at the neck. Ken released her hair to bring his arm up and block the blow even as he dropped down and locked a foot around her ankle to sweep her feet out from under her. Following her down to the mat, he pinned her wrists as he knelt over her, his weight on her arms._

"_Give up?"_

_Her eyes glinted up at him as she smirked, "No way buster." Kicking her free leg upwards, she nailed him in the butt, sending him tumbling. Before he could recover his equilibrium, she had his wrists pinned and was straddling one of his legs, a mirror of their position a moment before. The only difference was that she had placed her knee at a point where if he tried to use a similar move as she did to get away, he would be causing himself considerable pain. The tides had definitely turned in this match. _

_Joe guffawed from the sideline, thoroughly enjoying the situation Ken had found himself in. Watching his friend, he could tell that more than just the maneuver had thrown him off. Due to the heat of the day, the boys had shed their shirts and gi jackets early on. Protesting the unfairness of this, and despite their sensei's objections, Jun had stripped down to her sports bra. That little fact had been generally ignored after a while, but now Ken was faced with a new dilemma as Jun leaned over him, using all her weight to keep him pinned. Waiting a few moments for them to break apart, Joe commented, "Should I leave you two alone, or do I need to get the hose?"_

_Both teammates blinked and turned to glare at him. Jun's face went pink, as she realized just how close they had been and the lack of her normal covering. Ken's eyes were narrowed as he snapped, "Can the commentary and call an end to the match already, smart ass."_

_Joe shrugged and obliged, "Yame!" _

_At the command, Jun immediately let Ken go, rose to her feet and backed up towards the exit, "I'll...see you later. I'm gonna go join Ryu and Jin in the pool." Turning, she ran out the door._

_Ken rose slowly to his feet and skewered Joe with an ice blue glare, "Nice work baka, you just embarrassed the hell out of her. Hope you got a laugh out of it." Turning, he went after her, leaving Joe thoroughly amused behind him._

_Once the two were out of earshot, Joe commented, "Well, as the man said okashira, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. But at this rate, by the time you two get together, you'll be holding hands at the nursing home."_

Ken snapped himself out of the memory and bit out, "What are you talking about her like that for Joe? She's our teammate, not one of your playboy fantasies for kami's sake! And don't try to deny that you have a stack of those kind of magazines under your bed at home."

Joe snickered, "And how would you know, you been checking them out while I'm not around."

Ken ran a nervous hand through his hair and sputtered, "Just don't talk about Jun like that, ok. She's not that kind of girl, and I won't have anyone talking about her that way, you got it?"

"Whoo-hoo, a little hot under the collar there huh Ken...or should I say a little hot under the shorts? Don't tell me that you didn't get a bit of a hard on while she had you pinned on that mat today. 'Cause if you do, you're a liar."

"Just...shut...up." Ken managed to get the order out between grit teeth, only to have it ignored.

"And in the pool, damn, that bikini! I wonder how she got around Hakase buying that little number, it barely left anything to the imagination. And I have a pretty damn good imagination."

Ken took a deep breath and expelled it slowly as he said, his voice low and deadly, "I don't care where you're going with this, but I'm only going to say it one more time. Shut up and go to sleep!"

Joe feigned innocence and said, "Hey, I can't sleep. And what do you expect, I am a healthy man after all..."

Ken cut him off, "And what the hell do you think I am, a monkey? Don't you think I feel the same things?"

"I think you're a blockhead when it comes to girls, ototo. In case you haven't noticed, our little swan has the hots for you."

"You really think so?"

'Got 'im.' The smirk was audible in Joe's reply, "Ah, I see the feeling is mutual then. You must be blind if you haven't noticed it by now. Seriously Ken, haven't you seen the way she looks at you. Like she wants to eat you alive." His smirk was even wider as he continued, "I bet you'd like to eat her alive too, huh?"

Ken took another deep breath, "That is beside the point and really none of your business either. She's our teammate, so stop digging for dirt. And I use the term loosely."

"Hey man, don't get your shorts all bunched up. All I was saying was how hot she looked in that bikini. I mean, don't you agree? Come on, I want to hear your opinion."

Ken sighed, "If I answer your question will you go to sleep?"

"Maybe. So...what's the story?"

_Ken closed his eyes as he found himself back in the ISO pool, with a shapely swan on his shoulders, playing Chicken with Ryu and Joe, as an amused Jinpei watched from the side of the pool. The pool's blue green water rippled under fluorescent lights as the overheated ninjas sought relief in the lukewarm waters. At Joe's suggestion, the game had begun, Jun and Joe grappling overhead, as Ken and Ryu tried to keep their balance, with Ken having double duty in trying to keep his mind off the two shapely legs flanking his cheeks. It had been near torture to have her squirming around on his shoulders, her satiny skin brushing against his and movement becoming increasingly difficult as his bathing suit barely kept his manhood in check. To make matters worse, Ryu had a smirk on his face as he splashed water at him, noticing his commander's predicament._

"_Ya know, Ken, you look like you're in a bit of trouble there. Ready ta give up?"_

"_Ryu, just shut up. Keep blabbing and you might lose your footing with that big lunk on your shoulders. "_

"_Nah, he's almost as much of a lightweight as you are," Ryu grinned and continued airily, "But you seem to be having more than your usual share of problems. Gonna give?"_

"_As if." _

_The match continued for a few more moments until Joe grabbed Jun's outstretched arm and yanked, sending the two off balance and Jun nearly landing on top of Ken as they fell. Ken came up spluttering, glaring over at the two apes whooping in victory, "Very funny. You two clowns should join a circus and really keep them laughing. He turned to look for Jun, concerned as she had yet to come up from underwater, "Jun? Jun! You ok?"_

_Her dark head emerged from the water next to him as she shoved her hair off her face in annoyance and glared in Joe's direction, "I'm fine. Just had a tiny problem, thanks to that moron over there."_

_Ken's blue eyes narrowed, "What did he do to you. If he did anything, I'll kill him."_

_Jun's cheeks took on a rosy hue as she fussed nervously with a strap of her bikini, "It's ok Ken. Something came a little loose when I fell, but it's fixed now. Don't worry about it."_

_Ken's anger only rose, having gotten the hint of just what her 'difficulty' had been, and knowing Joe's perverted one track mind, his hands balled into fists as he silently vowed retribution, yet not wanting to make a scene, decided to stay quiet for the moment. He took her arm gently and guided her towards the steps of the pool, "Alright, if you say so. Come on, we should get dressed, it's almost time for dinner." As the two walked towards the exit, the other three called out ribald comments that they decided to ignore._

Ken snapped himself back to the present and commented casually, "Alright, I'll admit it, she looked pretty hot. You had yourself quite the ball at my expense today didn't you?"

Joe snickered, "Yeah, but you make it so easy. So why don't you just admit that you're warm for her form and jump her already."

Ken stealthily made his way over to Joe's bed and with lightning speed, rendered Joe immobile and ground out, "Let's get one thing straight right now. I am sick and tired of your little innuendos, suggestions and otherwise lewd comments concerning our teammate. Whether or not I have feelings for her is between Jun and I and none of your damn business. Got it? Now go to sleep." With those words, he released him, stormed back over to his bed and laid back down, yanking the covers over his head.

Joe was momentarily stunned, realizing that even though he'd been joking to get Ken to admit his feelings, he might have gone just a bit too far. As much as he enjoyed goading Ken, he enjoyed living more. So taking the signal from his irate commander, he did as he was told, closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Ken also closed his eyes, but sleep was now elusive as images of a lean, nubile body, first in gi pants and a sports bra, then in a red bikini swam through his mind, causing him considerable discomfort as his body responded. "Damn you Asakura, I swear I'm gonna get you for this tomorrow. Just you wait."


End file.
